Reference Tool

The Readiness Ledger

Every purchase from the Shopping List and every guide from Skill Guides, merged into one list and ordered the way the site itself prioritizes: four tiers from hours-to-14-days basics out to community-scale thriving. 325 items total. Checked items are saved in your browser only, the same way every other checklist on this site works.

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Tier 1: Foundational

Hours – 14 Days 114 items

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Water 7 items

Food 7 items

Sanitation & Hygiene 4 items

Medical Care 8 items

Energy & Heat 11 items

Shelter & Structural Safety 10 items

Security & Self-Defense 6 items

Communication 7 items

Access & Functional Needs 7 items

Mental Health 4 items

Pet Evacuation & Shelter 9 items

Digital Data & Documents 7 items

Economic & Financial 4 items

Fitness 5 items

Transportation 11 items

Post-Disaster Recovery & Rebuilding 4 items

Planning & Assessment 3 items

Tier 2: Extended

2 Weeks – 3 Months 93 items

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Water 7 items

Food 8 items

Sanitation & Hygiene 6 items

Medical Care 5 items

Energy & Heat 11 items

Shelter & Structural Safety 3 items

Security & Self-Defense 5 items

Communication 6 items

Access & Functional Needs 8 items

Mental Health 4 items

Buy & Stock

Coping/resilience books: physical, non-digital

Activity kits: card games, puzzles, board games

Exercise equipment: resistance bands, jump ropes; shared with Fitness

Learn & Practice

Substance Withdrawal: What's Actually Dangerous: Why alcohol and benzodiazepine withdrawal can be fatal while opioid withdrawal, though far more miserable to watch, rarely is, real danger signs that mean a hard emergency regardless of tier, and what supportive care can and can't safely do without medical backup. Guide ›

▸ Break it down

Learn why alcohol and benzodiazepine withdrawal can be fatal, unlike opioid withdrawal Know the real danger signs that mean a hard medical emergency regardless of tier Know what supportive care can, and can't, safely do without medical backup Identify if anyone in your household is at risk, and plan for it in advance

Full Mental Health chapter ›

Pet Evacuation & Shelter 8 items

Digital Data & Documents 4 items

Economic & Financial 6 items

Fitness 5 items

Buy & Stock

Resistance bands

Weighted pack/rucksack: can be a normal pack loaded with water jugs or sandbags

▸ Break it down

Load it to a realistic go-bag or hiking weight using water jugs or sandbags Test-carry it on a real walk before relying on it

Jump rope

Training log notebook

Basic injury supplies: compression wraps, elevation-friendly setup

▸ Break it down

Learn basic wrapping technique for a sprain before you need it

Full Fitness chapter ›

Transportation 7 items

Tier 3: Permanent

Indefinite Self-Sufficiency 91 items

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Water 3 items

Food 25 items

Sanitation & Hygiene 4 items

Medical Care 9 items

Energy & Heat 11 items

Security & Self-Defense 6 items

Communication 8 items

Access & Functional Needs 3 items

Buy & Stock

Custom fabrication tools: hand tools, a 3D printer if feasible How to use this ›

▸ Break it down

Learn basic use of each tool before you need to fabricate something under pressure

Reference library: disability & assistive technology: disability management, herbal remedies, assistive technology

Learn & Practice

DIY Assistive Equipment Fabrication: Real organizations behind free 3D-printed prosthetics and open-source assistive devices, simple PVC-based builds you can make today, and exactly where DIY stops and professional help starts. Guide ›

▸ Break it down

Identify real organizations offering free 3D-printed prosthetics or open-source assistive devices Learn simple PVC-based builds you could make today Know exactly where DIY stops and professional help starts, and don't improvise past that line

Full Access & Functional Needs chapter ›

Mental Health 2 items

Buy & Stock

Reference library: psychology & resilience: psychology, philosophy, history

Music/art supplies: instruments, paints, or clay

Full Mental Health chapter ›

Pet Evacuation & Shelter 4 items

Buy & Stock

Pet medical library

Basic surgical tools: sterilizable forceps, scissors, sutures, layperson-safe procedures only

▸ Break it down

Get training on layperson-safe procedures only, and know exactly where that line is

Feed stock or small livestock: 5+ year ingredient supply, or rabbits/chickens

▸ Break it down

Check local ordinances before acquiring any animals Calculate a real 5+ year ingredient supply, or acquire actual breeding stock

Pet-safe herbal remedies: chamomile, valerian, topical aloe only

▸ Break it down

Confirm each remedy is actually pet-safe, many human herbs are toxic to animals Learn correct dosing for your specific pet's size

Full Pet Evacuation & Shelter chapter ›

Digital Data & Documents 5 items

Buy & Stock

Archival storage: acid-free folders and boxes

Film camera & darkroom: for analog document/photo backups

▸ Break it down

Learn basic film developing before relying on it Store film and chemicals away from heat

Magnetic tape drive: if available; enterprise-grade, not a baseline expectation

Microfilm rolls: for permanent analog backups

Climate control: dehumidifiers, silica gel, temperature monitoring

▸ Break it down

Place dehumidifiers and monitoring in the actual storage room, not just anywhere in the house Check and empty or replace on a regular schedule

Full Digital Data & Documents chapter ›

Economic & Financial 3 items

Buy & Stock

Standardized weights/measures: calibrated scales for fair trade

Secure vault: community safe for shared valuables or trade reserves

▸ Break it down

Site it somewhere multiple trusted households can access if it's truly shared Confirm it's rated for the value it will actually hold

Trade goods: bulk salt, alcohol, ammunition, tools, medical supplies How to use this ›

▸ Break it down

Choose goods with real historical trade value, not personal guesses Store separately from your own household's supply

Full Economic & Financial chapter ›

Fitness 2 items

Buy & Stock

DIY strength equipment: filled sandbags, water jugs, or containers with rocks/sand

▸ Break it down

Fill sandbags or containers to a specific, progressive weight rather than randomly

Yoga mat or padded surface: for a stretching/mobility routine

Full Fitness chapter ›

Transportation 6 items

Tier 4: Sustainable Community

Beyond One Household 27 items

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Community 1 items

Learn & Practice

Finding Your Local Prep Community: Real, joinable organizations behind Tier 4: Map Your Neighborhood, CERT, LEPCs, VOAD, the Red Cross, ARES/RACES, faith-based disaster response, and mutual aid networks. Guide ›

▸ Break it down

Look up Map Your Neighborhood and CERT programs in your actual area Find your county's Local Emergency Planning Committee Once your radio license is in hand, join ARES or RACES for a real communications role Check whether VOAD or the Red Cross has a local chapter you can plug into Look into faith-based disaster response and mutual aid networks near you

Full Community chapter ›

Water 1 items

Buy & Stock

Expanded water infrastructure: shared well, developed spring, or larger filtration system

▸ Break it down

Identify a realistic shared source: a well, spring, or larger filtration system Secure any required water rights or permits for your area Agree on cost-sharing and access rules with participating households

Full Water chapter ›

Food 2 items

Buy & Stock

Community-scale processing equipment: shared grain mill, canning kitchen, or root-cellar co-op How to use this ›

▸ Break it down

Identify which neighboring households actually want to participate Choose a location and confirm access and security for shared equipment Agree in writing on a shared usage schedule and maintenance responsibility

Seed library infrastructure: labeled, cataloged storage with germination-testing tools How to use this ›

▸ Break it down

Choose a secure, climate-stable location for storage Label and catalog by variety, source, and year Set up germination testing on a rotating schedule Agree on lending and return rules with participating households

Full Food chapter ›

Medical Care 2 items

Buy & Stock

Shared medical cache: community-level surgical instruments, trauma supplies, antibiotics

▸ Break it down

Agree with participating households on what the cache covers and who can access it Store it in a secure, climate-controlled location Assign someone with real medical training to manage and rotate stock

Community apothecary/herb garden

▸ Break it down

Choose a shared plot with suitable sun and soil Agree on planting, harvesting, and access responsibilities Label every plant clearly to prevent misidentification

Full Medical Care chapter ›

Energy & Heat 3 items

Shelter & Structural Safety 1 items

Buy & Stock

Guest/shelter capacity: extra bedding, tents, allocated space for displaced neighbors or family

▸ Break it down

Identify how many displaced people you could realistically house Stock extra bedding and tents sized to that number Designate the actual space in advance, not during an emergency

Full Shelter & Structural Safety chapter ›

Security & Self-Defense 3 items

Communication 3 items

Access & Functional Needs 2 items

Buy & Stock

Shared adaptive equipment cache: spare mobility aids, communication devices, adaptive tools How to use this ›

▸ Break it down

Inventory what mobility aids, communication devices, and adaptive tools the group actually has spares of Store in a secure, accessible location known to everyone who might need it Agree on access and return rules

Community fabrication workshop

▸ Break it down

Choose a shared location and confirm power and access Stock based on the specific adaptive-equipment needs of participating households Assign someone with fabrication skill to lead it

Full Access & Functional Needs chapter ›

Mental Health 1 items

Buy & Stock

Shared creative/recreation supplies: music, art, and game supplies sized for group use

▸ Break it down

Choose supplies sized for group use, not individual household use Store centrally and agree on access

Full Mental Health chapter ›

Pet Evacuation & Shelter 2 items

Buy & Stock

Shared pet medical cache

▸ Break it down

Agree on what it covers and who can access it Assign someone with veterinary knowledge to manage it

Shared feed/livestock infrastructure

▸ Break it down

Agree on cost and labor sharing for feed and housing Confirm zoning covers a shared livestock arrangement

Full Pet Evacuation & Shelter chapter ›

Digital Data & Documents 1 items

Buy & Stock

Shared digitization equipment: community-level scanners, cameras, archival supplies

▸ Break it down

Choose a central, secure location for the equipment Agree on a shared scanning schedule and who maintains it

Full Digital Data & Documents chapter ›

Economic & Financial 1 items

Buy & Stock

Market infrastructure materials: tables, signage, scheduling materials

▸ Break it down

Identify a central, accessible location for a local market Agree on a schedule and basic ground rules with participants

Full Economic & Financial chapter ›

Fitness 1 items

Buy & Stock

Shared heavy tools: two-person saws, heavy hauling equipment

▸ Break it down

Store in a central, secure location Agree on check-out and maintenance responsibility

Full Fitness chapter ›

Transportation 2 items

Buy & Stock

Shared heavy equipment: community-pooled tractor, trailer

▸ Break it down

Agree on cost-sharing, usage scheduling, and maintenance responsibility Store securely with clear access rules

Community fuel depot: shared, securely stored fuel reserve

▸ Break it down

Choose a secure location well away from occupied structures Follow proper fuel storage regulations for the volume held Agree on access, rotation, and replenishment responsibility among the group

Full Transportation chapter ›

Post-Disaster Recovery & Rebuilding 1 items

Buy & Stock

Shared rebuild equipment: community-pooled tools beyond individual household sets

▸ Break it down

Inventory what tools the group collectively owns before buying duplicates Agree on check-out and return responsibility

Full Post-Disaster Recovery & Rebuilding chapter ›

Want just the purchases, or just the skill guides?

This page deliberately merges both. See The Shopping List for purchases only, organized the same way by tier, or Skill Guides for the full how-to layer on its own. Want a shallow, all-categories-at-once starting point instead of this exhaustive one? See First 14 Days.